The Resource
Vol. 3, No. 3
Contents
1
A Book Publishing News eZine
www.AuthorU.org
The Magic, No ...
Extravaganza 2012 Page 3
the Wonder of Perseverance
How to Sell a Book Page 7
Judith Briles, Author U Founder
How to Make Large Sales Page 11 Two-color Cover Design Page 14 Belly-Up to the Bar Code Page 16 Four “Can’t Live Without” ... Page 17 New Members Page 19 The Eight-fold Way Page 24 Crack the Amazon Code Page 21 Pinterest - It’s Not Just ... Page 27 How to Find Buyers Page 29 Member News Page 33 Content for Social Media Page 357 Book Smarts Page 37 TIPS Page 38
Sometimes it’s not easy being an author ... it comes with rejection—sometimes in a cascading abundance. Sometimes we authors feel that everything we attempt is a massive flop; sometimes we think we should be committed for spending the time and money in creating our books. Sometimes we think there’s no freakin’ way we can sell any; and sometimes we just think and think ... But then, a nudge comes into play. You love your topic. The cover makes you happy. You remember the unbelievable sense of pride when you held that first book in your hand. A kind word, email, or note comes your way that you’ve made a difference, solved a problem, or just provided a new fan with a terrific story. Authoring ... what a journey. Highs and lows. Hopes and fears. Tears and joy. And a journey that requires perseverance. Webster’s defines perseverance as “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.” Isn’t that what we authors face—sometimes on a daily basis? Are you thrilled with your book sales? Would you like to increase them? Book sales don’t come from luck ... they come from marketing work. And perseverance. Continued on page 2 ....
Mark Your Calendars Page 40 Last But Not Least Page 41 Author U Benefits Page 42
Members, invite a non-member to come to the Extravaganza and they will save HALF of their tuition costs. WOW!
The Resource
2 The Magic: Continued from page 1 ....
Your book is like an iceberg—5 percent is the writing; the other 95 percent is below the surface ... everything that you do to kick-start sales, your marketing, and your on-going plan. The continuation of your Book and Author Platforms. Everything. For sure, authoring isn’t for sissies. Successful authors have more rejections than Hogan’s got goats. Successful authors have hit the wall of dismal sales more times than they care to count. Successful authors have received more negative reviews than their walls have room to post them. Successful authors have had days, sometimes weeks, months, even years when they have wondered, “What was I thinking ...” Yes, authoring is hard work ... what separates the successful author from the non-successful one? One word: perseverance. That’s what this year’s Extravaganza is all about. Why put the time and money into creating your book if you aren’t going to market it on an ongoing basis and with a strategy? If your book sells for $20, the cost of the Extravaganza is equal to selling 20 books ... plus you get fed from morning until night. What are you waiting for? Don’t miss out. Your book deserves the information you will learn. You and it deserve the success that will come your way when you implement it. Author U is bringing the publishing and marketing village to you. Will you invite them in? Or will you close the success door to both you and your book? The choice is yours.
Judith
Savvy Authors Who Want Their Books to Soar Think ...
Author U stretches members to a higher level. Some will be publishers, some will not, but ALL will learn and grow. Author U shows YOU, the author, how to be the best you think you can be . . . and then how to to be even more than you thought you could be. Learn the ropes to become a publisher yourself. Heading to NY? Receive strategies that will hook both publisher and agent. Continue to learn and meet terrific people and achieve success. Author U is waiting for you. Success comes from hard work, careful planning, learning your craft, and being in the right place at the right time ... Author U shows
www.AuthorU.org
Invite a non-member at 1/2 Price!
FOUNDER: Judith Briles ADVISORY BOARD: Collin Earl/ Dan Poynter Greg Godek / Rick Frishman Brian Jud / John Kremer Eric Kampmann / Mara Purl Penny Sansevieri/Marcella Smith Susan RoAne, Peggy McColl
— Register now http://bit.ly/xz7m8s
NEWSLETTER: Linda Lane, Editor Shannon Parish, Layout, IllustratingYou.com
The Resource
3
It Takes a Village to Create and Market Your Book!
Author U Extravaganza! May 3-5, 2012 Bonus session on May 3rd with John Kremer
Over 2 ½ amazing days, you will be working with amazing book-marketing strategists, publicists, Internet gurus, mobile marketing geniuses, audio and video pioneers ... all done in an intense workshop environment. If you were to hire any of our publishing faculty for just one hour, the minimum charge would be $500 each. Learn from 11 experts for far less for a few days. Their combined time value exceeds $50,000! Block the dates on your calendar for 2 ½ days that will turn you and your book into a Rock Star in Publishing! Save $50 … Early bird registration ends March 31st. Don’t you owe it to you as the Author and to your Book to schmooze with the best, learn from the best, and implement their savvy strategies? Register NOW: http://authoru.org/extravaganza-2012.html The 2012 Extravaganza Faculty includes: Janita Cooper It Takes a Village to Sell Your Book and Listen to It! Creating audio and video out of your books is adding to your consumer menu. Janita Cooper has been doing it with precision for over 30 years. Learn the how-tos, techniques for selling them, the latest in book trailers ... and so much more. John Kremer You Are the Mayor of Your Village – Find It and Market to It! How would you like some amazing ideas and strategies on how to skyrocket both your eBook and pBook sales? All that is here in this amazing 5-hour workshop on the late afternoon of May 3rd. Dinner included. You must sign up for this event in addition to the 2-day Extravaganza. Marty Dickinson Getting Brutal with Google! What’s Google+ got to do with taking your book to the stratosphere? How about your website? One word—EVERYTHING! Learn from Marty the latest in what’s happening to position you and your book in this morphing cyber world. Steve Harrison What Successful Authors Know that Unsuccessful Authors Don’t ... Publicity: Get Every Producer to Call You! Every major (and not so major) producer in the country has heard of RTIR ... come learn from the man who created the Radio and TV Interview Reports and leads the Quantum Publicity workshops in NY each year. Daniel Hall Advanced Kindle Creating and Strategies The master of all things in creating strategies that will skyrocket your Kindle positioning. For those of you who are dying to do this all yourself, you have the master of Kindles at your call. Continued on page 4 ...
The Resource
4
Extravaganza: Continued from page 3 ....
Georgia McCabe Social Networking Can Brand and Rock Your Book World! What does the digital world have to do with you and your book? Everything! You will learn new techniques and strategies from the woman who convinced Time Warner that it would be a good idea to save their photos! Georgia McCabe is the author of SocialMorphosis: Transforming Your Business through Social Media. She will show you the “do’s” and “don’ts” of social networking sites to organically and authentically grow your book presence and sales. Brian Jud Book Marketing for Fiction – You’ve heard Brian before ... he always brings fresh ideas to advance your niche-marketing strategies—this won’t be any different. Get ready to sell books ... and so much more. He’s going to create a program: Marketing for Introverts! Mary Barnett Creating a Marketing Platform with Your Phone – Got a smart phone—do your buyers have them? The Pioneer in Mobile Marketing position, her workshop will be a hands-on … learn pointby-point … how to do it and how you can get your book marketing into the next, next level of “e” marketing. QR Code strategies included. You don’t want to miss this session. Dan Pacheco Getting published is easy. Who the heck are YOU is the question? eBooks, eBooks, eBooks ... learn the inside secrets to why the Huffington Post and the local Denver Post are selling gazillions of books and how you can immediately implement their techniques. Florrie Binford Kichler What’s Indie Publishing Got to Do with It? The president of IBPA, founder of Patria, Press and the publisher of the award-winning Young Patriots Series for children is a 20-year veteran of the publishing industry. Florrie will forecast what’s happening in the indie world, how she created her own press that has only published other authors...and so much more. Nick Zelinger Creating a Book that Shakes, Rattles and Rolls – From concept to production: producing a cover and interior design that will make you a Rock Star. Nick will show you the latest trends in book design. Friday Night Dinner Surprise is included with an amazing guest. Amazing Exhibitors Local and National ... all from the Village that creates books that the crowds will buy. Our tables are almost sold out ... a good thing! This is your time to connect with them in person. They will be available throughout the Extravaganza for coaching and chatting. If any other group had assembled this program, your registration would be huge. Can you afford to miss out for just a few hundred dollars? Register NOW. Your Investment … After April 1st: Members: John Kremer Workshop Friday only Saturday only
$347 $ 77 $187 $167
____ ____ ____ ____
Non-Members:
$477 ____ $ 95 ____ $230 ____ $190 ____
Author U … where authors learn how to be authors … creating and publishing books they never regret. Continued on page 5 ....
The Resource
5
Extravaganza: Continued from page 4 ....
Register NOW: http://authoru.org/extravaganza-2012.html Location: Doubletree-DTC off Orchard and I-25 in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Get the entire experience—stay at the hotel. Special rates for participants at $85 until April 12th. Call 303-779-6161 and ask for the Author U rate.
Do you need (or want) a sharp, up-to-date head shot? Ashography Event & Portrait Photography is offering photography packages at the Author U Extravaganza this May. If pictures are worth a thousand words, having a professional portrait for your website, bio, or book cover is priceless. Photographer Ashlee Bratton will have her studio lighting setup and offer packages with professionally edited photos, including digital rights. Private portrait sessions may be scheduled separately through www.Ashography.com. Bring your best smile and put your best self forward! Think website, one-sheets, book covers, brochures ... you name it, she can do it!
6
The Resource
Are you thrilled with your book sales? Would you like to increase them? Book sales don’t come from luck ... they come from marketing work. Yours. Your book is like an iceberg—5 percent is the writing; the other 95 percent is below the surface ... everything that you do to kick-start sales, your marketing, your on-going plan. That’s what the Extravaganza is all about. Why put all that time and money into creating your book if you aren’t going to market it? If your book sells for $20, the cost of the Author U Extravaganza is equal to selling 20 books ... plus you get fed! Don’t miss out. Your book deserves the information you will learn.
The Resource
7
Note: Steve Harrison will be presenting a special workshop at the Author U Extravaganza Friday morning. He will be with us the entire time and available for one-on-ones, as well as leading a table with Brainstorming with the Pros. No one knows the publicity contacts like Steve—be there to take advantage of it.
How to Sell Your Book to Anyone in 30 Seconds or Less By Steve Harrison
When I bought my copy of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I pulled the book off the bookshelf and imagined myself sitting on Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, during a week’s vacation, enjoying a fantastic beach read, and losing myself in the novel. When I purchased The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Galloway, I said to myself, “This is exactly what I need to finally win the St. Alban’s tennis tournament.” And, when I bought the audio version of The Tipping Point, I imagined a 7-hour drive on I-95 North going a lot faster, hearing my kids ask interesting questions, and being able to share helpful information with my clients. Q.: What do all three of these purchasing decisions have in common? A.: In each case, I had a mental picture of how I was going to ultimately benefit from the book, and that’s why I decided to buy it. Please grab a pen right now, write down the following statement on a sheet of paper, and post it in your office. Ready? PEOPLE DON’T BUY BOOKS; THEY BUY PICTURES. So the next time that you’re doing something to promote your book, make sure you’re describing a picture of the future that people really want to experience. It might be the actual reading experience. For example, I saw an ad in the New York Times Book Review section with a very compelling headline. The book featured was Revelations by Sandy Cohen. The title is not compelling, but the headline was. It said, “When’s the last time you laughed out loud reading a novel?” It also said, “Escape into the funniest novel you’ll read this year.” The ad was selling the experience you’ll have while reading this book. The other type of picture you can paint is to talk about the results of reading your book. What could the reader’s life be like if he or she read your book and acted on what you share? Perhaps they’ll experience outcomes such as learning new ways to succeed in their careers, organize their lives, or have more rewarding relationships. (Notice that I said, “could be,” not “will be.” That outcome will be up to them.) Your job is to write a good book and give people a compelling vision of how your book could benefit them. Now I’ll show you how to sell your book to anyone in 30 seconds or less. (How’s that for an appealing outcome statement!) Continued on page 8 ....
The Resource
8
How to Sell a Book: Continued from page 7 ....
My 3-part formula for quickly persuading others to buy your book The next time you meet a prospective reader, try out this approach when talking about your book: 1. Set the scene with a picture question: “Have you ever wished _______?” Or “Have you ever dreamed that someday ________?” 2. If they say yes, you say: “Then I think you’ll really like my book.” 3. Follow up with one of these statements. Provide specific details that show how your book will help them accomplish their dream or goal.
• • • • • •
“It shows you __________.” “It helps you __________.” “It will make you __________.” “It gives you _________.” “It is designed to __________.” “It is guaranteed to __________.”
Fill in the blank with what would be most relevant for your book. Here’s an example. “Have you ever wished you could lose weight without having to diet or use any willpower?” Or, you could say, “Have you ever dreamed that someday, at a party, someone would come up to you and say, ‘Man, what happened to you? You look fantastic!’” After their positive response, add, “Then I think you’ll really like my book. It shows you 10 easy things you can do to boost your metabolism while curbing your appetite so you’ll shed pounds easily.” 3 tips for applying this formula 1. Make a list of outcomes you think your readers would really like to have happen. Those outcome pictures will vary according to your niche market. Creating several lists will help you know what to say when you’re targeting different audiences. 2. Look at everything you’re doing to promote your book. Check to see if you’re presenting a compelling picture to draw people in. 3. Make sure that when you do media interviews, you’re telling stories and painting pictures of outcomes that people want. When Jack Canfield was promoting The Success Principles on the radio, he would deliberately tell a story about a woman he met who was very skeptical about what he was teaching, so he made a bet with her that his methods would work. He followed up with her a year later and learned that she had made a lot of money after using his principles.
Continued on page 9 ....
The Resource
9
How to Sell a Book: Continued from page 9 ....
Do you have a story you can tell about someone who read your book or followed your advice and got terrific results? Then be sure to tell that story in your press interviews, articles, talks, and other venues. If you’re working on a new book, consider choosing a title that presents a positive outcome picture. How to Win Friends and Influence People, Think and Grow Rich, and Your Best Life Now are examples of bestselling books with titles that follow this format. (As a side note, I remember helping promote a book called The One-Hour Orgasm. The challenge was that the author was getting tons of publicity and the media were interested in interviewing him, but I know some people who listened to his interviews were questioning whether they really wanted a one-hour orgasm. Maybe he should have drawn a more realistic picture when choosing his book title.) One final point: make sure that you are also applying this advice to your web copy, your talks, teleseminars, webinars, book events—and when naming your website. We call our website MillionDollarAuthorClub.com for a reason. I’m glad you’re a member.
Steve Harrison is the co-founder of www.FreePublicity.com, a service and training firm dedicated to serving authors, experts, and speakers who want to maximize their influence and income. Steve is the publisher of Radio-TV Interview Report (RTIR), the magazine producers read to find guests. He’s the co-creator of the Quantum Leap Program for Authors and Experts. His company has helped launch such New York Times bestsellers as Chicken Soup for the Soul, Men are from Mars Women are from Venus, and Rich Dad Poor Dad. He’s helped over 12,000 authors get publicity in a wide variety of media outlets including the Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox News, The View, CNN, People Magazine, Time, USA Today, CBS Evening News, and many more.
Special Bonus: For a free strategy session on How You Can Maximize Your Income and Influence as an Author or Expert, call 1-800-989-1400. ext. 128, or email mailto:DavidH@rtir.com
The Resource
10
Why Come to the May Extravaganza? ... How about learning Kindle strategies that will immediately kick up your book sales!
It Takes a Village to SELL Your Book ... and LOTS of VIDEO PROMOTION Advanced Kindle Creating and Strategies Daniel Hall will deliver the master of all things in creating strategies that will sky-rocket your Kindle creation and positioning. For those of you who are dying to do this all yourself, you have the master of Kindles at your call. Be there ... You and your Book can’t afford not to.
Register now http://bit.ly/xz7m8s
Author U is On The Air! Your Guide to Book Publishing with Judith Briles ... Everything You Want to Know, But Didn’t Know What to Ask launched live on January 5th. Every Thursday, Judith hosts an hour radio show with guests and features. Live with call-ins. For the beginner and intermediate author—all episodes will be available for downloads and podcasting. Listen live or click on the podcast from the website. April’s programs include Marketing Books with Brian Jud, Publicity and Book Trailers, Mobile Marketing, and much more. If you want to write and publish a book ... if you want to be successful as an author, Your Guide to Book Publishing ... Everything You Want to Know, But Didn’t Know What to Ask is for you. You will hear about statistics, scenarios, and strategies on what to do now! As The Book Shepherd, Dr. Judith Briles is in, and each week she will include publishing professionals that will reveal tips and secrets to the author’s journey. If there is a book in you, you want to listen, learn ... and yes, call-in with your questions each week.
Call in LIVE at 866-404-6519 4:00 pm MST Listen LIVE at http://rockstarradionetwork.com/shows/yourguidetobookpublishing
The Resource
11
How to Make Large Sales to Corporate Buyers By Brian Jud
Selling books to corporate buyers is not simply a matter of identifying new potential customers and then contacting them. Special-sales marketing is a new way of doing business, and you may have to adapt your existing procedures to succeed. If you understand how this unfamiliar selling process works, you may find the successful transition to it easier than you think. First of all, you are no longer acting as a book publisher, asking people to place your books on their shelves for resale. You are now a creative marketing consultant working with professional buyers, convincing them to use your book as a marketing tool to solve their problems, introduce new products, motivate employees, or educate students. Your objective is to help them meet their objectives, using your books. For example, let’s say you are proposing that FTD use your book as a premium (an item given to the consumer as an incentive to purchase another product) to increase the sale of flowers on Mothers Day. The FTD buyer may not initially see the relevance of your book (The Wizard of Oz) to meeting this goal. But you can make this connection by suggesting a new page be printed in each book with the words, “I miss you Mom, and all you did for me as a child. No matter where or how old I am, I always know there’s no place like home. Happy Mothers Day.” This may seem a little far-fetched, but you get the idea. In addition, no distributors sell to corporate buyers – you conduct the distribution function. And your familiar payment terms no longer apply as you negotiate different pricing based on the quantity of books purchased and other considerations. Your production methods may vary according to the form of the product (book, booklet, DVD) desired by the purchasers. And you may have to hire sales people, employ sales representatives, or train your existing team on how to sell in this new environment. You’re not in Kansas any more. But it is these differences in business strategy that make the rewards so satisfying and enticing as you finalize more sales of your books in large quantities on a non-returnable basis. And once you succeed in closing the initial sale, additional orders create continuous streams of recurring revenue. Ten Steps to More Profitable Sales The corporate sales cycle can be as long as it is gratifying. Once you understand how the process unfolds, you can work within it more successfully. It begins with the names of new prospects. Then you learn their needs, propose solutions, make presentations, negotiate the terms of each sale, and service the business once the order is placed. This takes considerable time, if for no other reason than the buyer’s risk of making the wrong decision is considerably higher than in the retail sector where unsold books are returned. Below is an overview of the typical steps for making large-quantity, non-returnable sales to corporate buyers. Over the next several months we will publish a series of articles describing this process in more detail, preparing you to profitably sell more of your books.
Continued on page 12 ...
12
The Resource
Make Large Sales: Continued from page 11 ....
Step One: Search for prospects in new segments. Search for new buyers and new ways to sell to them. Simply asking yourself “Who else could use the information in my book and why is it important to them?” could lead you to more corporate people who can buy your books: marketing people, C-level executives, sales managers, HR managers, meeting planners. Step Two: Qualify and prioritize the prospects Not all prospects are equal in their ability to purchase promotional products. Some may be entrenched with competitive titles, have no budget to purchase, or may have recently concluded a similar promotional campaign. Decide which are the best sales prospects at this time, and concentrate your efforts where they will get the greatest return. Step Three: Discover your prospects’ buying criteria and campaign objectives. Arrange an initial meeting with each top prospect to learn their buying criteria and plan how to proceed. Step Four: Search for solutions You probably have an array of titles that could meet the needs of many buyers. Go through your front- and backlist to find those that are most appropriate. Also, decide the best form in which your content should be delivered. Step Five: Prepare a proposal. Your proposal describes how your recommended solution will most cost-effectively reach the stated objectives. It is a formal, written description of the reasons why the target organization should accept your recommendation. Step Six: Make the initial presentation. This may be an informal one-on-one meeting with your initial contact or a more formal presentation to other decision makers and influencers to present your proposal. Step Seven: Expedite your prospect’s due diligence. Depending on size of the investment required to purchase your books, the prospect may investigate its impact on employees, sales, brand image, competitive position, customers, suppliers, salespeople, purchasing policies, warehousing procedures, previous promotions, and budgets, as well as long-term business plans. Step Eight: Follow-up presentations. Depending on the results of the prospect’s due diligence and the size of the order, you may have to return to meet with other people who can influence the decision. These presentations tend to be more formal. You may encounter delays when new information is revealed, budgets are changed, or personnel moved. In some cases the process may begin anew, or possibly be cancelled. Continue on page 13 ...
The Resource
13
Make Large Sales: Continued from page 12 ....
Step Nine: Negotiation. Rarely is your initial proposal accepted in totality. Both parties negotiate in good faith to get the best deal for their sides. Remain confident and professional, but know when it is your best interest to walk away from the deal. Step Ten: Close the sale; service and maintain the business. Do not try to make sales—try to make customers. Build long-term relationships that result in recurring revenue. Once the order is placed, track it closely to make sure the correct books are shipped at the right time in the right quantity. These are the general steps required to make a large-quantity sale. Careers could be at stake if poor decisions are made, so the buyers want to make sure every foreseeable event is considered. Smaller orders take less time and effort, but you should still cover all the bases. Use this as a general guideline, leading you down the yellow-brick road to more profitable, recurring sales to corporate buyers. Each of my upcoming articles will give you more courage, smarts, and heart along the way. Brian Jud is the author of How to Make Real Money Selling Books and now offers commission-based sales to buyers in special markets. For more information contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (860) 675-1344; or Fax him at (860) 673-7650: brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go to www.premiumbookcompany.com
Register NOW ... Author U Extravaganza is May 3 – 5 May 4th-5th Join Steve Harrison (publicity), Florrie Binford Kichler (president of IBPA), Mary Barnett (mobile marketing), Georgia McCabe (social media), Janita Cooper (book trailers, video, cd and dvd), Daniel Hall (ePromoting and eMarketing), Brian Jud, Dan Pacheco (new printing options), Marty Dickinson (Google, Google and more Google), Nick Zelinger (Covers and Interiors), Steve Harrison (Learning the Secrets of Highly Successful Authors), and several more. You missed the Early Bird price ... but as The Book Designer Joel Freidlander said, “The John Kremer event alone is worth the price of admission!” You ... and your Book ... can’t afford to miss this amazing event. http://authoru.org/extravaganza-2012.html
The Resource
14
Two-Color Cover Design for Self-Publishers By Joel Friedlander, The Book Designer
Before the advent of digital printing and print-on-demand production, publishers had no choice but to print on offset presses, and most books today continue to be printed by offset. Book presses are large, noisy, oily pieces of heavy machinery. There are separate parts of the press for each color that will be printed, with separate sets of rollers, ink fountains, and adjustments so that each color will print properly. Getting one of these presses running correctly and with all the colors in balance takes a fair amount of time and materials. Typically 100 to 200 sheets of paper will be printed and discarded before the “make ready” is complete. The difficulties and waste in this process force publishers to consider whether a four-color cover is really worth the extra cost, and many books continue to be printed with one- or two-color covers. Obviously, in offset printing this has a major impact on the printing cost of the covers and, therefore, the book’s profitability. The Book Designer’s Challenge The challenge for the book designer in this case is to know enough about the printing process, and have enough command of the design, to produce an attractive, engaging cover that most people will never notice is not “full color” but will help to sell the book. Here are two examples of two-color covers, both for self-publishers, from past clients: This cover for Paul Goldstene’s Revolution American Style shows what can be done just using black and orange inks. It’s got texture in the background, symbology in the Statue of Liberty graphic, and tremendous color contrast between the dark tones that result from careful mixing of the two colors, along with pure black and pure white. Although simple, it communicates quite effectively. The “Green Cue” Here is another self-published book, this one from financial adviser Joseph Simini: Before the “green revolution” designers frequently used green to suggest money, and this cover was no exception. Here it’s not just a suggestion, since the background is a duotone (two-color photograph) of twenty-dollar bills. The green and black combine to create a range of color values, set off by touches of black and white lettering. Continued on page 15 ....
The Resource
15
Cover Design: Continued from page 14 ....
This cover demonstrates again that full-color covers may not always be necessary when designing niche, non-fiction books. Either of these books would look at home at the local Borders or Barnes and Noble, yet each was printed for quite a bit less money than it would have cost to print them in full color. If you have a book you plan to print offset, consider the cost efficiency of a two-color cover. Just make sure your cover designer is adept at handling this type of design challenge.
Joel Friedlander, a self-published author and book designer, blogs about book design, self-publishing, and the indie publishing life at www.TheBookDesigner.com. He’s also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.
Follow Us! Don’t be left out! Make sure you follow Author U on Facebook, Twitter, and our Blog. Encourage others who are interested in writing, authoring, and publishing to do the same.
Twitter: @AuthorU
Blog: www.authoru.org/feed
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/AuthorU
The Resource
16
Belly-Up to the Bar Code By Nick Zelinger, NZGraphics
You may be wondering: How do bar codes rate as a topic for discussion? It’s all in the details when it comes to book cover design. Just go to your book shelf—you’ll see what I mean. The standard (large size) Bookland EAN bar code (from Bowker.com or online printers like LightningSource.com) needs a space of about 2" high by 1.5" wide. From the Bowker web site: The magnification ranges from 80% to 200% for a Bookland EAN code. The largest size used is typically a 100% code, although 92% is standard. The standard 92% symbol needs a total area of 2.00" x 1.25". The smaller ISBN Bookland EAN symbol is an 80%, which needs a total area of 1.75" x 1.0". If your book is 5" x 8", 5.5" x 8.5" or even 6" x 9", that takes up some valuable real estate on your back cover. Plus, on the smaller book sizes, they become an eyesore and compete against your marketing copy. So, before you purchase your bar code (with or without embedded book price), consider ordering a truncated size. They are smaller (usually the smallest magnification: 80%), fit into a boxed area of approximately 3/4" high by 1 7/8" wide—still easily scanned by retailers. There are plenty of third-party vendors who can generate that size bar code—average pricing starts at $25 per bar code. If you are a publisher or author planning on releasing many titles, you could also opt for purchasing your own bar code software. My business, NZGraphics, utilizes bar code software that generates all sizes of bar codes and UPC codes in various formats:TIFF, JPEG, EPS (Encapsulated PostScript). Of all the available formats, TIFF and EPS are the ones most used. I recommend using the EPS format (generated from Adobe Illustrator, a vector-based program.) EPS always prints sharp and clear (unlike some TIFF files). NEVER use JPEG format for your printed book—and NEVER resize a bar code, you could render it unscannable. Just import it into your cover layout at the size it is (100%). It may seem like a small detail, but for a book designer it’s a big deal. You want to appreciate the design and the author’s copy first, not have your eyes drawn to that large white box. I’ll be talking a bit about this plus a lot more about book design and production during the Author U Extravaganza in May. Hope to see you there.
Cheers!
Nick Nick Zelinger, NZGraphics www.NZGraphics.com, 303-985-4174 If you need it in the Nick of Time... call NZ Graphics.
The Resource
17
The Technology and Tips Toolbox
Four “Can’t Live Without” Resource Sites by Kelly Johnson
My husband was recently working on a project around the house. Upon seeing his toolbox, I asked him what he felt would be his “can’t live without” items. He said (without hesitation), “Duct tape and WD-40.” This started me thinking about what I would consider some “can’t live without” items in my technology toolbox. Here are 4 of my “must have” sites: 1. Iconfinder / http://www.iconfinder.com/ Have you ever conducted a search online to find a specific image for your website, report, or presentation? Millions of high-quality icons are downloaded every month from Iconfinder for use on websites and to place in reports and presentations. Launched in 2007, Iconfinder was the first search engine focused on icons. Use the search button on the site to type in a keyword for an icon you wish to find (examples: stop sign, Twitter, laptop, etc.), and have fun viewing the options!
2. Snagit / http://www.techsmith.com/snagit.html Snagit is screen capture software that allows you to capture an image from your computer screen, including web pages. In addition, you can enhance images with text and effects, create short demo videos to share, organize screen captures with tagging features, and use the timer setup feature when you need extra time to capture an image, such as for a menu or drop down list.
3. Wordle / http://www.wordle.net/ Wordle is a program for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share. Tip: use Snagit to capture your Wordle as an image to display on your website, blog, presentation, report, or book.
4. Glassy Buttons / http://www.glassybuttons.com/glassy.php Want to add some buttons to your site, but your graphic design skills are non-existent? On this free site, you enter the text and select colors and font style. The system will generate the button image for you to download and add to your website or blog. Let me know your favorite sites or share your experiences on using any of the above services. To your success,
Kelly
Kelly Johnson works with authors to manage technical, creative, and administrative projects for their businesses and books. She’s an article-writing coach, does blog and website maintenance, knows how to implement an online shopping cart strategy, and is the principal of Cornerstone Virtual Assistance. She can be reached at mailto:kjohnson@cornerstoneva.com. Her website is www.cornerstoneva.com.
The Resource
18
Why Come to the May Extravaganza? ... How about getting your head around Google and Google+ so that you can use this monster Internet force! Getting Brutal with Google! Marty Dickinson will show you what Google has got to do with taking your book to the stratosphere? How about your website? One word—everything. Learn from Marty the latest in what’s happening to position you and your book in this morphing cyber world. Be there ... You and your Book can’t afford not to.
Register now http://bit.ly/xz7m8s
... How about learning inside tips and secrets of book publicity success? Steve Harrison will reveal The Seven Things Rich Authors Know That Poor Authors Don’t. Wouldn’t you want to know what separates success from failure? What steps successful authors take that other authors bypass or just don’t know about? Wouldn’t you like to take an elevator once in awhile vs. each step at a time? You can with the co-founder of www.FreePublicity.com, the publisher of Radio-TV Interview Report (RTIR), the magazine producers read to find guests, and co-creator of the Quantum Leap Program for Authors and Experts as your guide! His company has helped launch such New York Times bestsellers as Chicken Soup for the Soul, Men Are from Mars Women Are from Venus, and Rich Dad Poor Dad. He’s helped over 12,000 authors get publicity in a wide variety of media outlets including the Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox News, The View, CNN, People Magazine, Time, USA Today, CBS Evening News, and many more. Be there ... You and your Book can’t afford not to.
Have You Met Author U’s Associates? Have you checked out Author U’s Associate Services page on the website? We have recommended providers from shipping to printing and everything in between. http://authoru.org/associate-service-providers.html
The Resource
19
New Members Jennifer Turner is the CEO and Founder of Peaks Press. Her first children’s book, entitled My Name is Jake, is coming out in May. Some of her favorite children’s book authors are Eric Carle, Leo Leoni, Ian Falconer, Rod Campbell, and Olivier Dunrea. She lives in Denver with her husband and 2 young children and enjoys a good chai latte. Her website is www.PeaksPress.com
Maurice Soliel is a great-grandfather; the senior member of a Christian family who has worked hard to successfully pass the “torch” of a vibrant, solid faith to multiple consecutive generations. He’s a life-long Bible Student, Sunday School teacher, Deacon, Elder, and Church Board member along with being a Northern Wisconsin dairy farmer, Wyoming cowboy, and successful businessman, including holder of the coveted Diamond Pin with Beneficial Standard Life Insurance Company (BSLIC) for selling over 1,000 policies. He also built the second-highest-producing General Agency in the nation with BSLIC. Maurice resides in the beautiful Wapiti Valley in Northwestern Wyoming, midway between Cody, Wyoming, and the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. A mountain brook cascades down through half a mile of his mountain foothills property. His book, Gwampa, I Can’t Find the Twail, is ready for publication.
Luci Berardi has been the practice manager for a Periodontal & Implant Dental Practice in Denver, Colorado, for 17 years. Additionally, she is a yoga instructor/practitioner. Luci maintained good health by practicing yoga regularly and was extremely in-tune with her body. In August 2010, she began seeking medical care to explain a pain and bump on her ribcage. In October of 2010, shortly after celebrating her 2nd wedding anniversary, Luci was diagnosed with Stage IV Ovarian Cancer. Though she was diagnosed with metastatic cancer, she never lost faith. Yoga, meditation, prayer, and journaling enabled her to remain hopeful. Following seven months of surgeries, doctor visits, and chemotherapy treatments, her cancer had been resolved. She felt compelled to share her experience, hoping to help other cancer patients with their fight. Luci resides in Bailey, Colorado, with her husband Todd and their two dogs, Tara and Rafferty. As of March 2012, she remains stable and cancer free. Maureen Shul was elected the first mayor of the City of Castle Pines after leading the effort to incorporate and is working on a book describing the founding, formation, and leading of Colorado’s newest city. Maureen is CEO of a brokerage firm she founded over 20 years ago to assist retirees with investments and long term care and currently serves as president of the Castle Pines Economic Development Council. After organizing “Wings of Hope,” a benefit at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum to help raise awareness and funding for pancreatic cancer, Maureen recently founded “Wings of Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Research” after losing two family members to this disease. With the impact on her family from pancreatic cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, Maureen is also working on book projects on these issues.
The Resource
20
New Members
Dan Pacheco is the founder of BookBrewer, an online service that makes it easy to create, publish, and sell eBooks and printed books through all major eReading devices and apps. Its NewsBooks program helps journalists and news organizations monetize curated content and has recently been used by The Huffington Post and The Denver Post. Before BookBrewer he created and managed social networking services and communities for newspapers and online services, including The Washington Post and America Online.
Frank Harritt, MBA, has had diabetes for 24 years and been insulin-dependent for 21 of those years ... with no significant complications. He is the founder of Diabetes Self-Defense, LLC, a start-up that provides the “rules and tools” of Diabetes Self-Defense with both a reference manual/logbook and M.D.-developed dietary supplements. His company and products have been created for people with diabetes by people with diabetes, including the book’s medical reviewer, Dr. Jay Krakovitz of Boulder, a diabetic physician. Their website is www.DiabetesSelfDefense.com.
Don Daniels has always been one to explore outside the box. Don was interested from youth in a variety of topics ranging from ESP to Cosmology to Nature and Science, to books about near-death experiences and life after life, to UFO’s. Not content to just read, Don would experiment where possible. For instance, he built scale models of the pyramids and experimented with pyramid energy, managed to avoid any direct experience with Near Death but does have a number of friends who did, and participated in UFO research outings. A commercial airline pilot by trade, Don has always had a wide variety of other interests as well. It was on his very first UFO research outing that he had an experience that led to the writing of this book. A very high quality interactive UFO encounter occurred that night, where the group flashed lights at the craft and it flashed back (and more)! This triggered a period of philosophical introspection into the meaning of other life in the universe and our place in that larger universe. His book takes you on that journey towards becoming a Cosmic Citizen and includes simple exercises to help you become, likewise, a Citizen of the Universe. Courtney Miller Transitioning from a business career to a writing career, I like to combine my passions for archaeology, astronomy, archaeoastronomy, history, genealogy, and Native Americans into my writing.
Author U Extravaganza 2012 May 3-5 / Register now! Register Online http://bit.ly/xqHBa8
The Resource
21
Why Come to the May Extravaganza? ... How about getting the inside track on the latest in social media! Pinterest. Twitter. Google+. Facebook ... oh my! Georgia McCabe can do all that and much more. Why is Pinterest so hot? Why do women prefer it over Facebook? How can you market your book with Twitter? In this double-decker workshop, you will be in awe of the tips and tools you will take away. Be there ... You and your Book can’t afford not to.
www.DenverEditor.com Mentoring Authors Who Care about Excellence
Why Come to the May Extravaganza? ... How about crystal-balling the future of indie publishing! What’s Indie Publishing Got to Do with It? Florrie Binford Kicher is the president of IBPA—the Independent Book Publishers Association, founder of Patria Press, the publisher of the awardwinning Young Patriots Series for children, and a 20-year veteran of the publishing industry. She will forecast what’s happening in the indie world, how she created her own press that has only published other authors…and so much more.
Be there ... You and your Book can’t afford not to.
Register now http://bit.ly/xz7m8s
The Resource
22
Monday Evening Salon For Members Only May 26th from 6 pm to 9 There is no Salon in April so that members can focus on the upcoming Extravaganza. The next one will be on May 23rd. Watch for topic and announcement.
Did you miss one of our radio shows? Listen to any of the previous shows either on your computer or via iTunes. Always packed with useful information for the author who wants to succeed. Past shows are listed on the home page of Your Guide to Book Publishing. http://rockstarradionetwork.com/shows/yourguidetobookpublishing
Follow Us! Don’t be left out! Make sure you follow Author U on Facebook, Twitter, and our Blog. Encourage others who are interested in writing, authoring, and publishing to do the same. Twitter: @AuthorU
Blog: www.authoru.org/feed
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/AuthorU
The Resource
23
Why Come to the May Extravaganza?
...
How about schmoozing! Stay at the hotel – all the Speakers and many of the Exhibitors will be there ... special rate of $85 The Doubletree-DTC off of Orchard and 25 is an easy drive from any direction in Colorado. Get the entire experience—stay at the hotel. Special rates for participants at $85 until April 12th. Call 303-779-6161 and ask for the Author U rate. Register now http://bit.ly/xz7m8s
Be there ... You and your Book can’t afford not to.
Are you following Author U? Don’t be left out! Make sure you follow Author U on Facebook, Twitter, and our Blog. Encourage others who are interested in writing, authoring, and publishing to do the same. Twitter: @AuthorU Facebook: Facebook.com/AuthorU Blog: http://authoru.org/feed
The Resource
24
The Eightfold Way: The 8 Basic Don’ts for Novel Writers By Steve Moore
The media has become fixated on spontaneous symmetry breaking and the Higgs boson (the so-called “God particle,” a name that would surely make Mr. Higgs cringe). The Higgs mechanism (i.e. the spontaneous symmetry breaking) is necessary to give mass to some of the vector bosons in the electroweak or weak and electromagnetic interaction theory. Forgotten in all this media hoopla is the theory that led to the idea of quarks and gluons, the Eightfold Way of symmetries popularized by Mr. Gell-Mann. (Note that I refrain from using the term “discovered.” In theoretical physics, the math is “out there.” You just have to figure out what math matches up to the experimental data. Experimental physics is where “discoveries” are made.) Now that I’ve had some fun imagining your eyes glazing over as if you’d just had tequila mixed with sleeping pills, let me say that this post is not about physics. (My eyes are glazed, too, because the above is hardcore physics, and I’ve been sipping my Jameson’s while writing like a madman.) The Eightfold Way I consider here is the shining path that leads you to a finished novel that someone might want to read. It’s my distillation of rules for writing a novel—a distillation that is not the quality of a fine Irish whiskey, but I’ve put some thought to it and would like to share (I’d like to share the Jameson’s too, but the Internet hasn’t discovered e-drinking yet). What are the rules for successful novel writing? There are many, and everybody has his or her own list. All writers are not equal—what works for one might not for the other. Moreover, since I’m not David Baldacci or Stephen King, you might think I’m being a bit presumptuous—I am not a successful novelist. I might be considered prolific; but, by my own standards, I’m not successful—I would certainly like to have more readers. Nevertheless, I’m an avid reader. Since I’m also a novelist, when I read a novel, I read with a critical eye, especially in my capacity as a reviewer. Readers rule, especially nowadays when there’s a plethora of novels available just waiting to be read. My Eightfold Way is reader-oriented. It’s a list of DON’Ts if the writer wants to keep his readers happy. Are you ready? (1) Don’t just write about what you know. In fact, the adage “Write about what you know” is completely off base. I don’t know who said it initially, but he or she clearly wanted to eliminate the competition. Here’s the scoop: If you have no imagination, you shouldn’t be a novelist. I’m not just talking about sci-fi, either, where this rule is obvious. If you’re writing a romantic novel about vampire love or a thriller about finding a serial killer, I bet you have no direct experience in either (not $10k—how about one of my eBooks?). Your imagination has to rule your writing. Moreover, what you imagine has to be put into words that move and still make sense to the reader. (2) Don’t confuse your readers on time, place, or point-of-view (POV). The action in my novel The Midas Bomb, for example, covers only a week. I had the timeline laid out, of course, but I soon realized that the reader could be confused by the rapid succession of events, especially since flashbacks are mixed in. Consequently, the day and time are a subheading to each chapter. (One reviewer expressed appreciation for this, so I know I made the right choice.) For POV, I’m not a purist. Switches within a chapter are OK as long as they’re Continued on page 25 ...
The Resource
25
The Eightfold Way: Continued from page 24 ....
clear—for example, at the beginning of a new chapter section. However, it’s a little weird when Susie knows what Bob is thinking, unless Susie is a mind reader. Bottom line here: don’t make your reader say, “Huh?” (3) Don’t write overly explicit and excessive character description. I hate it as a reviewer; I avoid it like the plague as a novelist. Leave something for the reader’s imagination. If you’re too excessive, you might contradict the image he already has in his mind. Your character might have a dragon tattoo, but it’s unimportant to the reader if it’s unimportant to the plot. Minimalist writing should be your goal. Of course, you have to be clever enough to provide some logical but misleading clues in a mystery, for example, or the reader will have no fun. The key to description is that old slutty Goldilocks—you want just enough, no more, no less. (4) Don’t be verbose or erudite, especially in dialog. Many experts call Herman Melville’s Moby Dick the greatest American novel. I don’t think so. It’s number two on my list of “worst books in the English language” primarily because it’s an overly detailed manual on how to turn whale’s blubber into lamp oil. If anything, Greenpeace should ban it. In fact, most of the books in my list suffer from verbosity and eruditeness. One reader talked about the pages and pages in Giants of the Earth describing the motion of grass (maybe that’s where the phrase “boring as watching grass grow” came from?). The 70+ page speech in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged is another turn-off. The pages and pages of description of sea flora and fauna in 20,000 Leagues under the Sea is a huge turn-off. You get the idea. I reviewed a book recently where the author obeyed his grammar checker to the nth degree and omitted all contractions in his dialog. Oops! Contractions are an important part of natural dialog; the latter should always reflect everyday speech. Anything else sounds pompous. Of course, you might want your character to sound pompous, but handle with care. Street jive is the other extreme, of course. The trick is to entertain your readers, not bore them or annoy them. To me, verbosity also includes an overuse of adjectives and adverbs. That’s the minimalist thing again. Consider: “You’re a cad!” she said angrily. The “angrily” is unnecessary as are most variants of “said.” These latter are wraith-like words that a speed-reader passes over. Of course, artistic license allows you to spring a surprise. Consider: “You’re a cad!” she said with a wink. Now the adverbial phrase “with a wink” expresses possible flirting instead of the obvious anger. It’s no longer superfluous. (5) Don’t dwell on minutia. That’s the minimalist idea yet again. Moby and 20,000 Leagues again come to mind. Assume the reader already has a good idea about how to brush his teeth, for example—I’m reminded of those websites where one watches someone go through their day. Boring! I have better ways to spend my time. If a character goes from point X to point Y, the reader doesn’t need to know what happened between X and Y, unless it’s essential to the plot (he sits on a butterfly and changes the space-time continuum?). (6) Don’t be cute. The TV series Lost had many followers, but most people were turned off by the convoluted pseudo-spiritual ending and the many flash-forwards were confusing, to say the least. The writers were too cute. I’ve seen this happen in novels I review. I might be old-fashioned, but I avoid flash-forwards entirely. Garcia-Marquez in one of his novellas, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, gets cute and announces the ending right up front, then spends the rest of the novella telling the reader how that came to pass. He gets away with it—he’s a Nobel prize winner, after all. Generally speaking, though, you won’t. (7) Don’t use clichéd plots. Yeah, I know, there are only so many different story types, but I’ve read about too many twins separated at birth, too many aliens that seem like mafiosos, a plethora of amnesia victims running from bad guys, hordes of star-crossed lovers with families that don’t understand, and so forth. In particular, if I can map your story into one of Shakespeare’s plays by any stretch of my own fertile imagination, . . . Continued on page 26
The Resource
26 The Eightfold Way: Continued from page 25 ....
I’m suspicious. Clichés also reduced my enjoyment of the Star Wars trilogy—too many plot elements were lifted straight from Asimov and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ works. If I were an agent (thank goodness I’m not), the last thing I would want to read in a query is “My book is like….” (I did tell agents that my young adult novel The Secret Lab is NOT Harry Potter in space, but that’s different—I like Harry and friends, but every YA agent in the world was looking for the next Harry.) Use that imagination. If your novel’s plot seems clichéd, at least throw some plot twists in that to wake up your reader. As a reviewer, I love a reversed cliché. (Unlikely heroes fall into this category—remember the tailor who “killed six with one blow”?) (8) Don’t name your characters without some serious consideration. In January’s Writer’s Digest, Elizabeth Sims in the article “Namedropping” lists many good ideas about how you should choose a character’s name. Like Ms. Sims, I take character naming very seriously as a writer. As a reader and reviewer, I cringe at some authors’ choices. Jeff Smith isn’t a Latino, Jane Brown isn’t Chinese, and so forth. Again, think of your reader. He or she will be upset if all your names sound like they’re taken from a first-grade reader. Moreover, the appropriate name for a character must somehow fit that character’s personality. Some best-selling writers violate this rule—a pox on their house, I say, or on their editor’s, at least. What’s not in this list? Many details. That’s the easy answer. All the grammatical details, for example (rules upon rules about split infinitives, ending a sentence with a preposition, etc). Rules about not switching from third to first person (tell that to Patterson) or excessive use of the passive voice. Rules about appropriate punctuation (tell that to Garcia-Marquez in Autumn of the Patriarch, at least in the Spanish version, or Joyce in Finnegan’s Wake). I care less about these rules. Rules are meant to be broken and writers often do so, even famous ones (should I say, especially famous ones?). Nonetheless, my Eightfold Way contains what I consider essential that you NOT do as a novelist. I might still find your novel entertaining if you break one of my rules, but I might not. I probably should change my phrasing to “worst books in the English language that so-called experts say are great”—there are many indie books out there that are not worth your time because they break many of these rules. Same goes for some bestsellers that have passed through the legacy publishing gauntlet. The “so-called experts” will be reluctant to give the “great” grade in this case, especially counting their bias against indie books. You, the reader, on the other hand, are very lucky. There are many “great books” out there, both legacy and indie, in many different genres—you just need to find them and enjoy them. However, just as Einstein might have a problem receiving tenure in today’s tough academic environment, writing a novel well does not guarantee that you will have readers. Name recognition is the key. That can be achieved through publicity and marketing. If you have the budget, contract with an agency that will help you in these areas. Moreover, it helps to have not just one book but several. Einstein’s theory of special relativity alone would have eventually made him famous, but when you consider everything else he published in 1905, not to mention his magnum opus, the general theory of relativity, you just knew the guy wasn’t a Johnnycome-lately. He was a prolific scientist—as a reader, look for prolific writers, and, as a writer, be prolific. In libris libertas….
Steve Moore writes sci-fi thrillers, short stories, and book reviews. He also has an active blog where he comments on current events and posts opinions about writing and the publishing business from the perspective of an indie author. Visit him at his website http://stevenmmoore.com. Also thanks to Author U Advisory Board member Penny Sanseveri for connecting Steve to Author U. This was originally printed in Penny’s blog-A Marketing Expert.
The Resource
27
Pinterest – It’s Not Just For Photographers! By Georgia McCabe
In this era of ever-increasing connectivity, it sometimes seems as though a new social networking website springs up every few minutes. From Facebook to LinkedIn to Google+, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the deluge of these services. And while it might be tempting to sit on the sidelines and wait for the fad to pass, certain sites provide invaluable resources for specific communities. One of these sites is Pinterest [link: http://www.pinterest.com], a relatively new networking service based around images. Consider it an online pinboard; users around the world collaboratively weave an extensive tapestry of pictures, connect to each other, and comment on others’ boards. It can be fun for casual Internet surfers, as well as highly useful for professionals. Launched in March 2010, the site grew in popularity almost overnight. Originally, membership was limited by an “invite-only” registration process, but now anyone can apply for an account (provided they already have a Facebook or Twitter profile). And according to Hitwise, a web-traffic monitor, Pinterest recently became one of the top ten most popular networking sites, with over 11 million visits per week. It’s not hard to see why the site has become so popular. By catering to a specific niche and providing a straight-forward, easy-to-use interface, Pinterest lets users share their content without all the extraneous elements involved with similar sites. When a member enters the site, the first thing they see is a wall of content (mostly photography, but a lot of infographics and other types, too), along with comments and other media. The user can post pictures they have found or taken and scan through other members’ submissions. They can choose to “like” other images, follow certain feeds, or monitor popular trends while using the site. Professional writers can benefit greatly by using Pinterest. Like other social media sites, it can be used as a free marketing tool. For instance, a freelance writers can connect with their clients, as well as anyone else in their network. Anyone who follows their feed will have a reminder of their work every time they log in, which could lead to referrals for future engagements. And as reported recently on the social media monitor Mashable.com [link: http://mashable.com/2012/02/01/pinterest-traffic-study/], Pinterest has directed more referral traffic to businesses than Google+, LinkedIn, and YouTube in recent months. Professionals can also take advantage of “trending” – the virtual equivalent of word-of-mouth promotion. By using hashtags (#) and linking pins and boards back to their website, writers can not only make their work more easily searchable, but also capitalize on popular topics. Be sure to regularly check out the “Discussions” section of the site to find out what people are talking about at any given time. Also, bear in mind that there are a vast number of other users competing for attention on the site. Creating a profile and pinboards that stand out is crucial, especially since users are greeted by potentially hundreds of images as they scroll through their home screen. Entertaining, personable titles and comments can help distinguish a writer almost as much as the quality of their work. The consumer-driven nature of the site can be Continue on page 28 ...
The Resource
28 Pinterest: Continued from page 27 ....
beneficial, and as hospitality consultant (and Pinterest user) Tom Costello points out in a blog post, it is a great way for businesses to “educate their prospective audience about their product offering without cramming it down their throat.” While images are the central focus of Pinterest, the site isn’t exclusively for photographers. Musicians can share pictures of performances, writers and other artists can share their works, and food enthusiasts can share pictures of their delicious creations. It does provide very useful resources for professional writers, though anyone with a passion for entertaining, informative imagery can, and does, use the site.
Creative Services Cartoons, Illustrations, Graphic Recording, Book Launch WebSites, WordPress and more ...
Call Shannon Parish
I am very excited about Pinterest and believe it presents creative types with a very powerful, image-rich, social media marketing channel; and I will follow this article with many more Pinterest-focused posts. However, to get the musicians, authors, and photographers off on the right foot for the moment, I recommend taking the following steps: 1) Make sure that all images and or documents on your web sites carry bitmapped copyright information. This will protect your ownership and supply valuable attribution, no matter where your images might appear. 2) When uploading content from the desktop, make sure they carry the same bitmapped attribution. Once the image is uploaded, click “Edit” and enter your website URL in the Link URL field. This will take any user directly back to your website, no matter where the image manages to go within Pinterest.
Finally, do take the time to look at Pinterest’s terms, and bear in mind that you are not only claiming rights to the items you pin, but you are also granting rights in order to allow Pinterest to distribute your images via their site and all other rights are retained by you. As with any social network, print out and read the terms of service thoroughly and understand what you’re agreeing to before you start to participate.
(720) 295-7409 Visit me online at: www.ShannonParish.com www.IllustratingYou.com www.BookLaunchSites.com * Author U Members receive discounts!
Georgia McCabe – As an author, speaker, trainer, and social media and photography evangelist, her perspectives on social media appear in print in her newest book entitled SocialMorphosis – Transforming Your Business through Social Media. Georgia is also a co-author of the book “The Relationship Age,” with social media guru Mari Smith, and a frequent guest blogger and speaker.
Register NOW ... Author U Extravaganza is May 3 – 5 May 3rd Bonus Afternoon with John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book—you must register for this. Only both day participants can attend the Kremer event—there are only10 seats left (sorry limited seating on this due to hotel space). http://bit.ly/xz7m8s
The Resource
29
How to Find Potential Buyers in Special Markets by Brian Jud Note: At the Extravaganza Brian will be presenting a workshop on Marketing Fiction. If you want to sell 10,000 copies of your book through a bookstore, you must get roughly 10,000 people to go there and buy it. If you want to sell 10,000 copies in nonbookstore markets, you can find one person to buy them all. The key to selling books in large, non-returnable quantities is to discover those people. As noted in “Why Does It Take So Long To Sell My Books?” (The Resource, February 2012, pg 13), the first step is identifying prospects – companies that may want to buy your books in large, non-returnable quantities and people in the companies who are the right contacts. Miners searching for gold prospect where the gold is most likely to be found. Follow their example by narrowing down your likely buyers as much as possible. You can do this in three simple steps. First, define your target readers and list the benefits your content provides to them. Next, organize your readers into groups with similar needs. Finally, search for the names of potential customers in each segment. This remainder of this article focuses on the third step, searching for potential buyers. Prospecting Tools You can prospect in person or indirectly, since there are techniques to fit any personality. Here are some of the most widely used ways to find the names of potential customers. * Networking Linking from people you know to people they know expands your base of prospects. Network online using www.LinkedIn.com to identify people who can connect you to target companies and key individuals. Network personally at conferences, seminars, association meetings, or wherever your target buyers congregate. * Trade shows You can find a list of conventions for your target markets at www.biztradeshows.com. You do not have to exhibit at them, but attend as many as possible to learn about the industry and to talk with the exhibitors and attendees who may be potential customers. * Advertising Advertising is an “exposure” medium, communicating your benefits to target readers so your name is on their minds when they are ready to buy. It is not a sales medium and can be expensive if used improperly. Ads can generate leads, and the cost can be zero if, for example, you arrange for a relevant association to use an excerpt from your book in its newsletter in exchange for free advertising space. When considering paid advertising, run the numbers to find your break-even point. Evaluate each medium on its cost-per-thousand (CPM) and its ability to reach the readers who will be most responsive to your book. * Associations To find other prospecting opportunities that associations offer, explore http://bit.ly/Hkug1F for associations related to Continue on page 30 ...
The Resource
30 Potential Buyers: Continued from page 29 ....
your topic. A database of more than 85,000 non-profit organizations is accessible at www.guidestar.org. Search their websites and contact the membership chairperson about using your book as a fundraiser or a premium to increase membership. Also, look for the bookstore manager, program director, or meeting planner who might hire you to speak to the association or become its spokesperson. * “Expert pull” Get prospects to come to you by increasing your visibility and reputation as the expert in your field. Stimulate word-of-mouth communication through personal presentations, by publishing articles, and by blogging on your subject. The publicity you get from winning awards or getting positive reviews can stimulate attention among potential buyers, too. These honors also give you credibility when you make your telephone pitches (see below). * Businesses The many sources of leads for corporate prospects include annual reports and websites. Search www.manta.com for contact information on businesses of all sizes. Access to the Thomas Register of American Manufacturers is free at www.thomasregister.com. And you can also discover information about corporations at www.hoovers.com. Remember that people read both fiction and nonfiction while traveling and vacationing. Search for potential buyers at hotels and cruise ship, passenger train, and bus tour companies, as well as travel agencies, airlines, limousine services, restaurants, B&Bs, and the like, as appropriate for your title. Suggest your book as a premium or gift to be given to people for doing business with one of these companies. * Newspapers Explore http://www.usnpl.com/, a free directory of newspapers worldwide with links to many newspapers’ Web pages. Read the articles for names of companies and individuals who could be prospects, and then contact them. * The Web For a free device that searches all search engines and eliminates duplicate sites, go to www.copernic.com. Join forums and discussion groups to increase your visibility and extend your reputation as the expert in your field. * Postcards, letters and email List brokers such as USAData (http://www.usadata.com/), www.directmail.com, or www.infousa.com sell lists of consumers, businesses, new homeowners, physicians, as well as specialty lists for accountants, boat owners, churches, insurance agents, new parents, voters, and many other categories. All these lists may be segmented in a variety of ways. * Customer referrals Ask your customers for the names of potential buyers who could use your book as a promotional tool. Continued on page 31 ....
The Resource
31
Potential Buyers: continued from page 30 ...
* Trade magazines Become more familiar with your target industry or industries by reading the articles in trade magazines and studying the ads for names of companies that could be prospects. Write for the magazine(s) to boost “expert pull.” Links to major magazines in the U.S. are available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ List_of_United_States_magazines * Webinars and seminars The key to a success when conducting these events is to offer a low-cost solution to a problem that your target market really wants to solve. Webinars can be done inexpensively. Costs for in-person seminars include room rental, refreshments, audio-visual equipment, and promotion. Teleseminars are the least expensive, with the only costs being conference phone line rental and promotion. Your webinars can be successful prospecting tools if you give good content and do not be too commercial. * Your Web site Build a prospecting element into your website. Along with benefit-laden descriptions of your titles and a catalog that’s easy to download, you need a “Contact Us” link that appears on every page. Gather names of visitors by offering something free. Add call or email links to have people call or email you, and reply to them quickly. Next Steps At this point you have lists of names. Some will be more interested in your content than others, and some will not be able to purchase your books in large quantities no matter how interested they may be. They may be using competitive titles, perhaps they have no budget to buy items as premiums or for similar purposes, or they recently concluded a promotional campaign and another one won’t interest them for a while. Go through your lists to disqualify those who cannot buy, and rate the remaining prospects according to their ability to purchase your books. Then rank them in descending order. Once you have ranked your prospects, you may find the telephone to be your most productive prospecting tool. Write a script to guide you through your calls. The script should not be something you read word for word. It should be a list of points to bring up, arranged sequentially, with questions you can ask to get and keep the prospect involved in the call and lead the conversation toward its logical conclusion. Start by identifying yourself and explaining quickly why you are calling—and always check to make sure you have called at a convenient time. In most cases your telephone calls will be answered by voicemail. The likelihood of your getting a return call is directly proportional to the quality of the message you leave. Create a 20-second voicemail message that includes your name; a brief, attention-getting statement about why you are calling; the reason it will benefit the recipient to return your call; your contact information; and the best time to call you. Prospecting for new business is like exercising. It is good for you, and it will produce positive results if you do it every day. It takes time, but a sales pipeline always filled with potential customers can mean positive revenue flow for the foreseeable future. Of course, finding prospects is only the beginning. Now you must convert your leads into customers. The remaining articles in this series will show you how to do that. Brian Jud is the author of How to Make Real Money Selling Books and now offers commission-based sales to buyers in special markets. For more information: P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (860) 675-1344; brianjud@bookmarketing.com; or www.premiumbookcompany.com.
The Resource
32
Why Come to the May Extravaganza?
...
How about learning all about marketing your book—any type of book! What’s Old, What’s New in Marketing eBooks and pBooks John Kremer is the guru of overall book marketing. His book, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, has had multiple printings, multiple editions, and sold hundreds of thousands of copies. His Blog has over 50,000 followers. He’s delivering a Pre-Extravaganza late afternoon session that includes dinner on Thursday, May 3rd. Starting at 4:30, you will dive into the sometimes strange and eccentric world of eBooks—the session after dinner will focus on pBooks. Expect the unexpected with John—it will be an amazing experience. Candid—off the wall—incredibly insightful ... perfect for today’s author. This workshop will SELL OUT...you must be a two-day participant to attend it from now on. Be there ... You and your Book can’t afford not to.
http://authoru.org/extravaganza-2012.html
Premier Partners See below for a list of our current Premier Partners. Visit Author U’s site see more. If you are interested in becoming our next Premier Partner, you can learn about our program and benefits by visiting http://authoru.org/our-premier-partners.html
The Book Shepherd Brian Jud’s Premium Book Company, LLC Color House Graphics, Inc. Cornerstone Virtual Assistance Editing By John Four Colour Print Group HereNextYear, Inc. Web Services IllustratingYou – Creative Services Melody Jones / Social Media Management Services Midpoint Trade Publisher Services
New Media Fluent NZ Graphics Pen & Sword Writing Coaches Sheridan Books Thomson-Shore Total Printing Systems Tu-Vets Corporation WESType Publishing Services
The Resource
33
Member News Sylvia Bernstein published Aquaponic Gardening: A Step-By-Step Guide to Raising Vegetables and Fish Together last year and has sold over 8,000 copies. Ranking #1 in Amazon on multiple categories including gardening, science/math, and nature/ecology.
Kathi McKnight was featured on the Dr. Oz show on her book, Handwriting Analysis: The Good, the “Un-good” and the Unexpected. Plus, her new eBook, Whitney Houston’s Final Autograph’s Reveal: Sizzling Secrets in her Script has just been launched—available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Here’s the link to the article Dr. Oz has posted on his site: http://droz.me/HDhTrB
Jenny Kachnic’s book, Your Dog’s Golden Years is due any day from the printer for an immediate release!
Mara Purl is thrilled to learn that her book, What the Heart Knows is a finalist in the Fiction Romance category for Book of the Year from Foreword magazine.
Judith Briles was featured on the April cover of Published! Her work with authors has been acknowledged by Writer’s Digest—which has included a session with her as part of the Grand Prize in Self-Publishing.
Christie Hartman’s book, Changing Your Game: A Man’s Guide to Success with Women, is now available on Amazon.
Suzi Strike’s book, Lucy Dakota: Rocky Mountain Beginnings is a finalist in The Colorado Book Awards program—winners will be announced in Aspen on June 22nd at the Aspen Summer Words Literary Festival. Suzi and the other finalists will be reading from their books on Thursday, April 19th from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Residence Inn Marriott, downtown Denver.
The Resource
34
Upcoming Tech Tool Boxes Register online for Tech Toolbox Worksops at http://authoru.org/author-tech-toolbox-workshops.html
Tech Tool Boxes are 3-hour intensives from 3 to 6 p.m. and are limited to 8 attendees. Bring your laptop. You will get direct one-on-one coaching from Kelly Johnson and Judith Briles..
Tech Toolbox is taking an April vacation. Watch for May and June dates—Keywords, WordPress, and much more!
June 12th
The Wonders of WordPress with Kelly Johnson
Register Online http://bit.ly/xqHBa8
Both the basics and in-depth options will be covered in a one-on-one formatting that becomes the perfect hands-on detail. Want to learn how to add a post or page to your WordPress site? Images and Links? Change the look? Want your Blog synched and running smoothly? Interested in discovering which widgets and plug-ins are for you and what they can do? Come join us to learn how you can manage and update your own WordPress site!
June 19th
SlideShare Basics and Strategies with Kelly Johnson
SlideShare has 60 million monthly visitors, 130 million page views, and was recently voted among the World’s Top 10 tools for Education and eLearning. In addition to presentations, SlideShare supports documents, PDFs, videos, and webinars. Embed your uploads to blogs and websites, install the SlideShare application on your LinkedIn and Facebook accounts, upload presentations publicly or privately, and discover their free, 1-click web meetings using Zipcast.
Have You Met Our Associates? To contact any of our service providers, visit Author U online at http://bit.ly/zqThIO or go to our website and click on the Premium Partners button in the menu bar. Both our Premium Partners and our Associate Service Providers are accessible from this handy location.
The Resource
35
Developing Content for Socia Media By Melody Jones
The most common question at my recent Author U dinner and a program on social media for authors was “What do I post?” A close second was “Where do I find content for my social media?” I say, “Don’t over-think it. If you are writing blog posts, have a website, have a book, and have a brain, you have things to post.” Use Your Own Stuff As an author one of the things you do is, well, write. You have already created content. Because brevity is valued in social media, it’s easy to find a snippet of information within your blog, website, or book to share. Search for an interesting fact to post, and make sure you include a call to action such as asking a question, or attach it to a theme such as Trivia Tuesday. Include a link to the blog post or your book or a graphic like a photograph. Blog Let’s look at an example. Author U member and author Merrie P. Wycoff recently wrote a blog post related to her Egyptian-themed book. Take a look at it here and follow along as we discover bits and pieces to share on social media: What is the secret of religion hidden in King Tut’s necklace? (http://bit.ly/HO0M9t) The title is already a perfect question to ask, using social media. In the first paragraph, we can pull interesting information and rephrase it. For example: •
•
•
Trivia Tuesday: King Tut’s unusual stone, seen here in his necklace, comes from a field of glass in Egypt. 1. What does a meteorite have to do with King Tut’s necklace? 2. “Like” the post if you love King Tut! First and second paragraphs. 1. What do a meteor crater, King Tut, and the development of Ancient Egyptian religion have to do with one another? 2. Trivia Tuesday. Ancient Egyptian religion was profoundly impacted by a meteorite. 3. Any guesses on how the shock of a meteor impact spurred Ancient Egyptian religion to develop? 4. Has anybody ever seen a meteor crater? Third paragraph. 1. Hey, fans, first person to find this fact in my blog post and post the paragraph and line number here gets a free Eye of Horus: “…the Hanuti discovered these ley-lines and energy spots and placed crystalline stones upon an altar...” 2. Did you know the nose became a symbol for a temple in Ancient Egypt? 3. Who recognizes the pattern on the map in this blog post from another famous piece of Egyptian art? 4. How are jackals, a nose, and crystalline stones related to Ancient Egyptian religion? 5. Trivia Tuesday. The early symbol for a temple was a nose because the priests would bake wheat into loaves of bread and the smell wafted over to the farmers in the field, signaling it was time for worship. 6. What does bread have to do with Ancient Egyptian worship? 7. Those Ancient Egyptians were crazy. Meteors, jackals, and noses?
Continued on page 36...
The Resource
36 Content for Social Media: Continued from page 35...
•
Remember, all these posts also include a link back to the blog post so your fans can read it.
Book Excerpt Fans love it when authors share excerpts from their books. Utilize your website or blog for the excerpt and use social media to drive people there with a post like “Just released an excerpt from my new book. What do you think about the character John Smith and the life-or-death decision he had to make?” Fan Questions and Comments Your fans are a goldmine of potential content. If you get a particularly intriguing comment from a fan or see certain questions repeatedly (like, say, where can I find content?), these are excellent launching points for social media content. Share the Love, Dahling You must track down and post third party content that relates to your subject matter. For example, an Egyptian theme lends itself well to content located on museum websites. If your fiction theme involves aliens, there are numerous websites related to the search for alien life, alien abduction stories, scientific information about space, NASA, and more. If you’ve written a non-fiction book, you’ve already done a bunch of research into your subject matter. Now you can just post and link that information into your social media. How to find content • Google Alerts. You can enter a word or phrase into an alert, and Google will scour its entire network for that phrase, sending you a notification with a link when found. It is absolutely invaluable for helping you keep up with the latest and greatest in your subject matter. Phrase examples could be “Ancient Egyptian Religion” or “alien abduction” or “space travel.” • Websites. Find one with a large amount of relevant information and set aside time to look at it. Here are a few to check out. o Alltop. Imports the stories of the top news websites and blogs for any given topic and displays the headlines of the five most recent stories. Also has a search function. o Pinterest. A fantastic site to find visual content relating to your subject. Just make DANG sure you can use what you find there. Copyrights are in play. o Topsy. A search engine that posts information in real time from Twitter and Google+ and strives to find only the “most important” content. • Trivia and Quote Sites. All serious all the time = no fun! You must also entertain your fans with trivia, jokes, quotes, and cartoons. Do a Google search to find sites with this information. There are also cartoon and funny quote pages on Facebook that allow you to share their content. • Videos. Search YouTube for related subjects and post to your social media accounts. Perhaps there are recordings of archaeological digs in Egypt, excellent NASA footage of a space craft, or even a funny comedy clip about aliens. Once you’ve developed content, plan ahead by entering it into your social media calendar. This way you won’t repeat information too soon or too often, and it’s easy to cut and paste into social media. You can do it, you authors, you. Melody Jones, owner of Melody Jones | Social Media Management Services, takes care of the day-to-day so you don’t have to. She’s your social media aspirin, here to make managing an author’s social media presence as painless as possible. Working from a philosophy of partnership, Melody knows the most successful results begin with clear communication and offers an extensive initial consultation designed to gain a thorough understanding of client mission, goals, marketing strategy, social media efforts, frustrations, and successes. Connect with Melody on Facebook at www.facebook.com/melodysocialmedia.
The Resource
37
Book Smarts Reporters Are Looking for YOU! Get the Publicity You Need to Build Your Business Dan Janal
Dan is a Founding Father of Internet Marketing and Publicity. He wrote one of the first books about marketing on the Internet back in 1994. He’s also the founder of PR LEADS Reporters Are Looking for YOU! is all about getting more publicity with ProfNet, HARO, PR LEADS, Reporter Connection, and other reporter pitching services. Throughout the book are a variety of tips that will help you pitch more effectively so reporters will want to quote you. Result: You get more publicity so that you can sell your book and services more easily. As Dan points out, the good news is that reporters need you to write their stories. The bad news is that hundreds, sometimes thousands, of experts and sources are competing for the attention of those reporters. Being unique is a plus, and with just a few of his tips, you get to the head of the class. Some of his tips include (besides the pitch ones) § § §
how to manage your time effectively so you don’t waste it tracking down leads and working with the media, what to do with the publicity you get so you can get more sales, how to generate even more publicity.
Best yet, when you own the book, you can get FREE advice on how to improve your responses by emailing your sample leads to Dan Janal (mailto:Dan@PRLeads.com). It’s a short book—less than 100 pages and less than $10—worth having in your references— marketing, publicity, pitching, connecting are all critical to your book and author success.
The Resource
38
TIPS Do you know that post card rates took another hike up? Or what size can be mailed at the “regular/standard” rate? Here’s the link to the 2012 guide: http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm100/dmm100.pdf
Sign Your Kindle Books Electronically If you’ve got a Kindle book available on Amazon, you can now sign it electronically for buyers with an online service called Kindlegraph. You sign each book individually as you receive requests, and you can write something different (if you want) for everyone who makes a request. Be sure to watch the video screencast explaining how it works at http://kindlegraph.com/about
Read on Kindle without a Kindle If you have an e-reader other than a Kindle, you can download a free e-book management program for your laptop at http://www.calibre-ebook.com/
eBook buyers are increasingly reading on tablets (17 percent) and smartphones (9.2 percent), but most still use dedicated e-readers (60.9 percent).
Make it a habit of using the http://www. anytime you give out your domain name (URL) or link to your book, and make sure to use it in your eBooks or other communications that you use via the Internet with one caveat: if you re exchanging emails with a company, they may have an “internal” block on live links—meaning you end up with a bounce or in the spam file. You need to check with your company contacts regarding policy.
The Resource
39
TIPS Find Out What People Highlight in Your eBook Would you like to be a fly on your eBook reader’s wall? If you have an eBook, you can log into Amazon’s Author Central account (it’s free and recommended by Brent Sampson, the AU March speaker)—log in and scroll to bottom of page. Look for “public notes”... there will be another link (kindle.amazon.com) which will take you to another page for your email and password (again). At that point, you can access your book and SEE if any buyers have highlighted anything within your book. Kind of cool ... and kind of scary.
Why Come to the May Extravaganza? ... How about learning about creating and selling eBooks? Getting published is easy. Who the heck are YOU is the question? Dan Pacheco is going to take you behind the scenes of how and what the HuffPost does in creating, marketing, and selling eBooks—lots of them! He will cover all the latest in DOs and DON’Ts in eBookland! Be there ... You and your Book can’t afford not to.
Members, invite a non-member to come to the Extravaganza and they will save HALF of their tuition costs. WOW! Register now http://bit.ly/xz7m8s
REMEMBER: Visit www.AuthorU.org often and check out the Members Area - Benefits, Special Events and Information are updated often!
The Resource
40
Mark Your Calendars - 2012 Save the Dates! APRIL April 5, 12, 19, 26
Your Guide to Book Publishing Radio Show, 4 p.m. MDT
Note: Dinner and a Program and the Salon will not be held in April—both dates would normally be close to the Extravaganza—serious authors need to be at the Extravaganza!
MAY May 3
Workshop and Dinner with John Kremer - Extravaganza Bonus
May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Your Guide to Book Publishing Radio Show, 4 p.m. MDT
May 4 – 5
Author U Extravaganza! All day plus Friday evening It Takes a Village to Create, Market and Sell Your Book
May 28
Monday Evening Salon
JUNE June 7, 14, 21, 28
Your Guide to Book Publishing Radio Show, 4 p.m. MDT
June 21
Dinner and a Program TBA
SUMMER August 11
Member Barbeque
WINTER December 15
Member Holiday Dinner Party
Why Come to the May Extravaganza? ... How about learning Kindle strategies that will immediately kick up your book sales! Advanced Kindle Creating and Strategies Daniel Hall will deliver the master of all things in creating strategies that will skyrocket your Kindle creation and positioning. For those of you who are dying to do this all yourself, you have the master of Kindles at your call. Be there ... You and your Book can’t afford not to.
Register now http://bit.ly/xz7m8s
The Resource
41
Last But Not Least ... Doubletree-DTC off of Orchard and 25, Greenwood Village, CO, is the site for the 2012 Extravaganza—take advantage of being onsite—Author U group rate is $85 and good until April 12th. Call 800-327-2242 and mention “Author U”.
Why Come to the May Extravaganza? ... How about meeting the Village People who can create and market your book! Face-to-Face ... there’s nothing like connecting and talking about your book and you as its author. Exhibitors ... national publishing professors are coming in to meet you and talk to you about your book. Printers. Website developers. Social media experts. Cover designers. Interior designers. Writing coaches. Marketing consultants. Publicists. eBook developers. Etc., Etc., Etc. Be there ... You and your Book can’t afford not to.
Why Come to the May Extravaganza?
...
How about using your phone to be your book marketing mouthpiece! Creating a Marketing Platform with Your Phone Mary Barnett is known as the QR Queen and the Pioneer in Mobile Marketing positioning, learn point-by-point … how to do connect with your buyers with your phone and how you can get your book marketing into the next, next level of “e”marketing. QR Code strategies included. You can’t miss this. Be there ... You and your Book can’t afford not to.
Register now http://bit.ly/xz7m8s
Did you miss a show? Listen to any of the previous shows either on your computer or via iTunes. Always packed with useful information for the author who wants to succeed. Past shows are listed on the home page of Your Guide to Book Publishing. http://rockstarradionetwork.com/shows/yourguidetobookpublishing
The Resource
42
Author U is Us … Have you explored www.AuthorU.org? Author U is for the serious author and independent publisher. Its programs and BootCamps are all designed to create, promote, and turn you and your book(s) into the success you want.
For only $89 … here’s why you should be a member: •
The Resource Newsletter, published onine 9 times a year
•
All programs designed for the committed and serious author
•
Reduced attendance costs for monthly programs, BootCamps and Extravaganza in May
•
Attendance at Member-only events: Holiday and Annual BBQ
•
Book Printing discounts and perks: Sheridan Books, Thomson-Shore, Color House Graphics, King Printing, Total Printing Systems, Four Colour Print Group
•
Legal assistance for authors and publishers: Steve Replin, Jon Tandler
•
Printing of flyers, business cards, postcards: Tu-Vets Printing
•
Interior Designs for books discounts: WESType Publishing, NZ Graphics
•
eBooks, Audio book discounts: DarkFire Productions, Greystroke
•
National Book Distribution discounts: Midpoint Trade, BookMasters
•
Graphics and Book Cover design discounts: NZ Graphics
•
Editing services discounts: Editing by John Maling, Patti Thorn
•
Virtual office assistance discounts: Cornerstone Virtual Assistant
•
Book and Publishing coaching discounts: The Book Shepherd
•
Website design discounts: Here Next Year
•
Author mentoring member discount: Linda Lane at DenverEditor.com
•
The list continues to grow!
Plus, at renewal, you will receive a Bonus via a PDF of Judith’s entire Resource section (40+ pages of contacts, websites, and detailed book and publishing info) from her newest book, co-written with John Kremer and Rick Frishman, Show Me About Book Publishing. All of us at Author U look forward to the expansion of our community. Tell your friends … $89 is a very small amount to invest for your success.
Join or Renew now at www.AuthorU.org Direct Payment Link: http://tinyurl.com/4cw4w7d
Author U is a proud Member of
Renew your Membership Now!